Keywords
ELs, Science, Elementary, Fourth/Fifth Grade, Teacher perspectives
Abstract
Science classrooms are places where students build knowledge through interacting with others and building new experiences by experimenting (Lee et al., 2009). English Learners (ELs) are students learning English, and the population of ELs has steadily risen in America (Tran, 2015). Although ELs are learning English, they are still expected to participate in conversations, exams, and learning in the Science classroom, regardless of their English abilities. This project focused on understanding teachers’ perspectives and experiences teaching ELs in the Science classroom. To do this, the researcher completed a phenomenological study and interviewed teachers to gain insight into their experiences. Afterward, the interviews were coded for themes to generalize the findings. Teachers are critical to the success of their students, including ELs (Lee et al., 2009). Teachers' decisions to support their ELs can be influenced by their experiences. This study informs researchers on what teachers are experiencing in the classroom and what they believe is needed to support ELs in acquiring Science content. The overall findings of the study indicate that teachers were unsure of what resources were available for their ELs and felt that ELs and Science were not prioritized by their schools.
Completion Date
2024
Semester
Fall
Committee Chair
Grissom, Donita
Degree
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
College
College of Community Innovation and Education
Department
Learning Science and Education Research
Degree Program
Curriculum and Instruction; TESOL
Format
Identifier
DP0028978
Language
English
Release Date
12-15-2024
Access Status
Dissertation
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
Cheverez, Kiana, "Fourth and Fifth-Grade Teacher Experiences with ELS in the Science Classroom" (2024). Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024. 17.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2024/17
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